This invention relates to a technical field in which character data written on a chit or register slip is processed with a computer, and, more particularly, to a system for inputting character data without using any special form for an optical character reader (hereinafter referred to as an OCR).
Conventionally, OCRs are used to input character data on chits or register slips. For OCRs, a special register slip is utilized such that format information (borders, ruled lines and entry space names in this case, although borders, ruled lines, entry space names and the relationship between entry spaces are usually included) is dropped out at the time of inputting so as to read character data alone. A system has also been developed in which characters on a register slip can be read without using such a special register slip. For example, in the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open S60-160486, pattern data corresponding to one line of characters and mating character borders recorded on a register slip is stored in a memory, and a character border pattern is detected from the memory based on the character border data to cut out a character pattern with respect to each character, thereby effecting character recognition. This conventional system entails problems described below.
In this system, although the need for a special register slip has been eliminated, character data not surrounded by borders, character data which is underlined and character data recorded inside borders rounded at space corners, which are commonly seen in ordinary register slips, cannot be recognized correctly. Further, if one input area includes a plurality of lines as in the case of ordinary register slips, recognition must be effected with respect to each line.
Also, there is a need to solve the problem of a register slip being shifted or inclined when it is input, and the problem of border lines on a register slip being shifted when the register slip is being copied.
Conventionally, values of sum spaces or the like on a register slip are directly read from the slip, but it is necessary for the user to confirm, by calculation, whether they are correctly read. There is also a need to check the conformity between a set of particular data items, such as client's names and client codes or commodity names and commodity codes, related to each other by codes.